Some operating systems, for example Apple® iOS technology, support HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) live streaming. For example, Apple has proposed an HTTP live streaming (HLS) protocol, and mandates that only that HLS protocol should be used to deliver live video streaming over Cellular networks to Apple's iOS platform devices (typically, but not necessarily, mobile devices such as smart phones and pad computing devices). OS (operating system) platform devices, including but not limited to Apple iOS devices, may natively (hardware+firmware) support the HLS playback protocol. While various OS platforms such as Apple's iOS may provide a mechanism to encrypt video streams according to the HLS protocol, the OS platforms (e.g., iOS) generally do not provide a mechanism to support more robust digital rights management (DRM), for example DRM for HTTP live streaming through an OS platform such as iOS.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional model for providing HTTP live streaming on an OS platform such as the iOS platform according to an HLS protocol. An application 104 may be installed on a device 100 configured according to an operating system (OS) 102 platform such as Apple's iOS. The device 100 may be, but is not necessarily, a mobile device such as a smart phone or pad device. The application 104 may obtain a manifest 106 for some content, for example a content 132 hosted on a content server 130. The manifest 106 may include a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for an HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) server and possibly other metadata, and may also include a playlist that indicates one or more contents 132. As an example of a manifest file, Apple's HLS protocol supports playlist (manifest) files in M3U file format; these M3U playlists may be indicated by the file extension “.m3u8” or similar. The application 104 may forward the manifest file 106 to the OS 102. The OS 102 may then use the HTTPS server URL in the manifest file 106 to obtain a key 122 for the content 132 indicated by the manifest file 106 from an HTTPS server 120 using the HTTPS protocol. HTTPS server 120 maintains a database of keys 122 for content 132, and looks up the key for the appropriate content 132 in the database according to content information provided by the OS 102 on device 100. The OS 102 may then stream the content 132 indicated by the manifest file 106 from the content server 130, using the key 122 to locally decrypt the data in the stream. The OS 102 may, but does not necessarily, pass the streamed content to the application 104.
Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems exist that provide DRM for various content. For example, Adobe® Flash® Access® technology is an example DRM system that manages licenses, rights, and keys in addition to providing encryption and security to protect Adobe® Flash® technology content end to end through its life cycle.
Currently, there are no easy ways to integrate a DRM system such as Adobe Flash Access technology DRM systems with HTTP live streaming on platforms such as the Apple iOS platform that natively (hardware+firmware) support an HTTP live streaming protocol such as the HLS protocol proposed by Apple. For example, Adobe® AIR® (Adobe Integrated Runtime) applications can be deployed on iOS platform devices only via the AIR packager technology for iOS, which does not support Adobe Flash Access technology.
“Adobe,” “Flash,” “Flash Access,” and “AIR” are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. “Apple” is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.